Improvement in steam-engines



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G. E. LONG, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA` I Letters Patent No. 101,747, dated April 12, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

HON-- The Schedule referred to in'thele Letters Patent and making part of the sa'ma' I, G. E. LONG, of the city of Harrisburg, in` the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements ,in Steam-Cylinders and Steam-Chests, of which the following is a speciication. p

The nature of my invention consists- Fiijst, in introducing the steam into the steam-cylinder direct through the cylinder-heads.

Second, inthe combination of the steam-chest or valve-box with the cylinder-heads by suitable conmeeting-pipes;

In thevdescrpton of the accompanying drawings-g Figure 1 is a side view embodying the steam-cylinder and its connections with the steam-chest or valve-box;

Figure 2 is a plan of the valve-box with the face.- plate removed.

Figure 3 is a view ofthe port-ring, to which the connecting-pipes are attached.

- Figure 4 is a view of one of the two similar' face-v plates of the valve-boxadapted to receive the pipes for the transmission of the liveor the exhausted steam respectively.

Figure 5 is ya perspective view of the valve-skeleton and its axle, which is equal-winged, squareheaded, and similar in form to oscillating and rotary steam-pistons in common use.

Figures 6, 7, and 8 are views showing the'en'd and side packing-strips andtheir application to the valve-v skeleton in the usual manner, by overlapping at the corners.

In` the description reference is made to the con# struction ofl the valve proper only incidentally, its form and packing-strips beingv shown in figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The valve-box or steam-chest is a short cylinder, composed of two heads and a ring.

The heads are held on the ring by through #bolts out-` side, and close to the ring, as shown in figs. 1 and 2.

The ring R, iig. 3, hasl ports S S diametrically opposite each other, and the immaginary line through their centers is horizontal or parallel with that of the steam-cylinder.

Ring It, and therefore the valve-box, is connected with the steam-cylinder heads at the -ports S S' by pipes D D or their equivalents, in the manner shown in tig. 1, or in any equivalent manner.

The heads or faces of the steamchest or valvebox have steamports in them, arranged at right angles to the line of the ports S S', oneAin each, o1' both in one of said heads, for the admission and the emission of live and exhausted steam respectively,

to which pipes may be attached to lead to the boiler or to the outside air.

The axle of the valve passes centrally through the valve, thereby making it a balanced valve by this arrangement of ports, and passes likewise through one ofthe faces of the box or chest, and terminates in a crank, to which the eccentric rod is attached in the mannerzshown in lig. 1. v 4. l

This steam-chest or valve-box is thus rendered a det-ached body from the cylinderof the engine, it being connected with the steam-cylinder heads only by means of pipes, as recited, except that, in some cases, an arm or brace may be employed lto support the weight of the steam-chest.

All the fitting of the parts of the steam-chest and its connections can be done by lathelwork.

Gore-'work and consequent chipping and planing are thus avoided, and the requisite amount of metal is much less than in the usual mode of construction, consequently there is less mass of metal to abstract heat 'from' thesteam, which is a great item in starting -up the engine; besides, the parts exposed can easily be lagged or covered with non-conductors ot heat.

The steam-chest may, in certain kinds of engines, be imbedded in the base ot' the smoke-stack, leaving only its one face exposed to the air outside, while its body and oth'er face receive the benefit of heat from the stack.

'The steaml or engine-cylinder is formed a regular It can be en;`4

body, with only one cylindrical core; tirely-fitted and faced by lathe-work. Its mass is thus also reduced .considera-bly, and the expense of nishing it greatly.

The pipes are united to thc cylinder-heads as near their center as practicable.

When two piston -rods are employed, the pipes will beinserted in the center ofthe cylinder-heads.

The object of inserting the pipes in the heads and in this manner is to gain the advantage of the traveling-power of the steam, and that this power may act as equally as possible on or against the piston.

The steam will thus crowd the body before it, as well as inject its'own momentum.

In order to enhanceA this traveling-power of the steam, the pipe and steam-chest connections are made so as to admit the live steam and to emit the exhausted steam in as direct paths as possible and freely.

The valve-chest or box is not here supposed to measure the quantity of steam, but its functions are -merely to control the admission and emission of steam.

- -The steam is thus admitted direct into the cylinder through the cylinder-heads with the full pressure on itof that in the boiler, which is enhanced by its traveling-power. It is worked expansively, therefore, and by impact, instantly and at the real wprking-point.

I claim- 1. Introducing'steam direct into the steam-cyl- 

